Choir & Organ

Divine Art’s championing of the prolific Carson Cooman (b.1982) continues with this seventh disc of the American miniaturist’s melodic and approachable music. The Rondo Festivo a rousing exception, the accent here is on the meditative, many of the 15 pieces composed in memoriam, several of them rooted in existing hymn tunes. Erik Simmons makes much of subtly differentiated music distinguished by serene, slow-moving lyricism.

Intriguingly, the II/42 Holzhey organ in Weissenau’s St. Peter & Paul church is heard sampled through the Hauptwerk MIDI system. With pipes separately recorded at optimal acoustic distances, the resulting sound is atmospheric, surprisingly attractive and altogether pleasing. (Awarded Four Stars)